Did Bodybuilder Die From Protein Shakes?

Meegan Hefford was training for a bodybuilding competition in Australia. Her competition was in September and from her pictures she was in excellent shape. She was going to the gym twice a day, and was eating a ton of protein. Then the unfortunate happened. She passed away. The autopsy reported that she died from intake of bodybuilding supplements (protein shakes). Headlines everywhere “Bodybuilder Mom Dies From Protein Shakes!”

Now we are hearing that protein shakes killed Meegan Hefford. The truth is that Meegan Hefford at a rare urea condition that didn’t allow her body to break down protein like 99.9999999% of the human population. This caused her body to create ammonia and it ultimately caused her death. Whether she was drinking protein shakes, eating excess quinoa, or drinking whole milk, the possibility of this death could have happened.

This is an extremely tragic event, however supplements and protein shakes are not to blame. You wouldn’t say a diabetic would die from Coca-Cola? The most important thing I can stress is to see your doctor before dieting and exercising, and continue to get routine blood work. Urea, kidney function, and creatinine levels should be checked with regular blood work and could have prevented this horrifically tragic death.